>> Six Monolith™ Grinders for the Chinese Aluminum Industry in 2008

Since the beginning of this year Herkules managed to get orders from five Chinese  customers, for in total six Monolith™ Roll Grinders. The companies named North China Aluminum, North West Aluminum, Qing Hai Ping An Aluminium, Yunnan Aluminium and Chinalco Henan Aluminum decided for the latest technology for high precision grinding of rolls for the aluminium sector. Previously the success of the Monolith™ technology started a bit slower in Asia than in the western world as the cost saving for the foundation is fractional. After detailed investigation of the existing references our Chinese customers realized that the main advantage of the Monolith™ technology is not the cost saving for the foundation, but the higher performance which result in the best possible grinding accuracy. Herkules is proud to underline its leading position in this high demanding market.

>> Largest Project in Company History

For their expansion project, Forge Saar Voelklingen, a company of the Saarstahl group, placed an order with the HerkulesGroup for large turning lathes, amounting to more than 50 million Euros. The higher-than-average demand for large forge parts for the energy industry has caused Forge Saar to considerably extend their existing production capacities at the Voelklingen site. This largest ever individual project of the HerkulesGroup will be realized at the Herkules sites in Siegen and Meuselwitz and Waldrich Siegen in Burbach over a time period of three years. The order comprises large turning lathes for wor piece weights of 100 to 250 tons and turning diameters of 2000 to 3300 mm, with center distances of up to 28000 mm.

"Besides our excellent reputation at Forge Saar, their decision for awarding HerkulesGroup was based on the advantage that the HerkulesGroup could provide the necessary production capacities within one group - a clear advantage of location compared to international competitors." says Christoph Thoma, Chairman & CEO HerkulesGroup.

Herkules Newsflash: download latest issue

>> China National Erzhong placed next order

China National Erzhong Group I/E Co., Ltd. placed the second order of one heavy duty roll grinder, type UWS 1100 x 12000 CNC for roll manufacturing. China National Erzhong Group Co. (former the Second Heavy Machinery Plant) is situated in DeYang, a heavy industrial city on the west plain of Sichuan province. It is the largest heavy machine-building base and the machinery localization base for technical equipments in China. This order is already Herkules second project challenge for grinding heavy rolls of 150 metric tons between centers. The machine is particular designed to support manufacturing of rolls up to 2250 mm in diameter, with a total roll length up to 12000 mm on centers at micron precision. With this fifth order of a heavy duty roll grinder for a roll maker located in China during the last three years, Herkules further strengthens its position as a leading technology supplier to support manufacturing of rolls.

>> Heavy Duty Roll Grinder for Chinalco Ruimin Co.

Chinalco Ruimin Co., Ltd. placed an order of one roll grinder for the new SMS DEMAG cold rolling mill and for an existing four-high stand HRM. The roll grinder type WS 600 Monolith™ is capable to grind all work and intermediate rolls up to 800 mm diameter and a max. weight of 16,000 kg. Yet, another customer in the Aluminium Industry who is willing to step ahead with the unique Monolith™ technology.

>> Chinalco South West Aluminum Co. placed order

Chinalco South West Aluminum Co., Ltd. placed an order of two roll grinders for the new SMS DEMAG two-stand cold rolling mill and for the new SIEMENS VAI four-high stand including the dynamic shape roll technology (DSR) which replaces the top solid back-up roll usually employed at four-high stands. The roll grinder type WS 450 is capable to grind all work and intermediate rolls and the universal roll grinder machines all rolls up to 1,500 mm diameter and a max. weight of 50,000 kg.

>> Heavy Duty Roll Turning Lathe for Gontermann-Peipers India 

GPI Gontermann-Peipers (India) Ltd. is one of India’s leading roll manufacturers. The roll turning lathe is designed for machining rolls up to a maximum weight of 20 t between centers, a maximum roll barrel diameter of 1,200 mm, and a length up to 6,000 mm. The new roll turning lathe is part of GPI’s modernization and expansion project, which has been started in order to fulfill the increasing demand for more and high quality rolls in India’s steel industry.

>> Heavy Duty Motor Spindle Grinder for WEG Maquinás, Brazil

WEG, one of the leading motor and generator manufacturers in the world, with plants in Brazil, Mexico and China among others, has recently awarded Herkules fwith the order of one heavy duty motor spindle grinder. The machine is custom - built or the application of grinding between centers and with high precision large shafts for motors and generators of up 30 t with a diameter of 1400 mm and 7 m length. This order confirms Herkules leading position in the Latin American market for heavy duty grinders.

>> Plate Mill Roll Grinder for Welspun Gujarat Rohren Ltd., India

Welspun, a leading manufacturer of pipes for oil, gas, crude or water transportation has installed its own Plate Mill. Herkules receive the order for a state of the art roll grinder, capable to machine rolls up to 250 tons with a diameter of max. 2400 mm and a total length of 11000 mm.

>> Third Roll Grinder for Hindalco Group

Hindalco, the Aditya Birla Group’s flagship company is leading India’s aluminium market. A number of production units all over India produces high quality aluminium rolled materials. After having supplied one roll grinder for Hindalco’s Renukoot Plant and one Monolith™ roll grinder for their Toloja Plant, Herkules was awarded the third roll grinder for Hindalco’s Belur Plant.

>> Roll Shop for Tianjin Tiantie Metallurgical Group

Herkules beats international competitors and will deliver for a work in Tianjin a state-of-the-art roll shop consisting of three fully automatic roll grinders WS 450, one universal roll grinder WS 600 and two automatic roll loaders. The roll shop will be controlled by means of a central HCC KPM roll shop management system.